


Fate/De stellarum hortus

by MugiKohai



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game), Fate/Grand Order
Genre: More characters to come later on, Ships are there but not the main focus of the story, Some characters briefly mentioned sometimes, most likely ooc whoops, tagging is hard, yes there will be deaths
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:55:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24769639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MugiKohai/pseuds/MugiKohai
Summary: The Hikawa family’s magecraft all went towards Sayo, as per tradition. The older sibling always has the obligation to learn all of their family’s magic. Hina somehow managed to learn and use it, and even better than Sayo at that. Now, in time for the Holy Grail War, Sayo is chosen as one of the seven Masters to compete in the long-lasting ritual.Seven masters, seven Servants. You cannot trust those closest to you.Sword, or Death. With what in your hand?Flame dancing, Earth splitting, Ocean withering.Chapter 2 Preview:"Nyohoho! But you see, my delightful Master here has failed so badly, I can't even go to my Spirit Form! Whatever will this fair fox maiden do~?""Caster, just shut it for once..." The pig-tailed girl definitely seemed like she was at her wit's end more than usual.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Fate/De stellarum hortus

**Author's Note:**

> hi!!! this is the very first fanfic that i have written and posted here, so im sorry if the formatting may be off! i hope you enjoy it, i'm really having fun writing this ^^

It had been a tiring day of band practice: Sayo kept messing up in the same part over and over, to the point where Yukina had to postpone practice so that Sayo got her skill back together. What an annoyance, hopefully Hina isn’t home yet from her usual routine of… what was it again? ‘Boppin’ idol band time’ as she put it? Sayo couldn’t care less.

On the walk back home, Lisa insisted she tag along for no reason whatsoever. Well, no reason that was relevant, to be fair. She just did it on a whim. Couldn’t she just have nagged along with Yukina instead? They literally live besides each other, it would’ve been more efficient had she gone with her instead. Sayo sighed as she pulled out her phone, an anxious look on her face.

“Say, Sayo? You’ve checked your phone for like, the fiftieth time ever since we began practice.” Lisa commented, earning her a look from Sayo. “Could it be you asked her out and you’re waiting for a response?” Giggling, a sly grin forming on Lisa’s face as she finishes up her question, turning Sayo’s gaze from a simple stare to a small glare. “Don’t be ridiculous. Hazawa’s busy with Afterglow, and she has no time for a date at the moment. Besides, I have business of my own to do.” 

“Eeeh~? I thought you were already done with homework. What else could you possibly do?” That damned cat-like smile Lisa always had started to show up. Sayo glanced away, her gaze once again meeting her phone. Make that the fifty-first time. “None of your business, Imai.” The remark made Lisa’s expression shift to a more serious one. Sayo didn’t see it, but could feel the awkward shift. 

“It’s the Association, isn’t it?” Sayo froze in her tracks. Busted. Lisa knew about Sayo being involved in the grail war, since she came forward about it to her. Lisa had kept it under wraps from Hina per Sayo’s request, as they both feared what sheer pandemonium could come forward out of it. The Hikawa family’s magecraft all went towards Sayo, as per tradition. The older sibling always has the obligation to learn all of their family’s magic. Hina somehow managed to learn and use it, and even better than Sayo at that. 

“Sayo, are you sure about… this? Have you even told Tsugumi about it?” Sayo winced. She didn’t want to tell her that she was about to enter a war that seemed like something out of sheer fantasy; even if she had no choice. The bare markings on her right hand confirmed she needed to; no, HAD to participate. “She doesn’t need to know. I… don’t want to put her life in danger.” Sayo began to walk again, her home being nearby. “But-” Lisa tried to protest, but was cut off by Sayo before she could say anything. Sayo tried to say something, but her throat dried up in that instant.

“Hey, Sayo?” Lisa poked at Sayo’s cheek, earning a solemn grunt from the teal-haired girl. ”Do you think Hina will try to participate? It’s not like she won’t try to snoop into your business.” Oh, right. Hina. Hina… in the war? That wouldn’t be right. Even if she knew how to use their family’s magecraft, much to Sayo’s dismay, It’s not like she’d be chosen, right? Or she already had been chosen, but Sayo didn’t know — her and her sister did not get along, after all.

“I doubt it.” Sayo finally arrived at her house. Normally the trip wouldn’t feel this… long. Sayo waved Lisa off, who went walking through a street to the right-hand side of the neighborhood. Sayo checked the mailbox, hoping her package came.

Score. 

Sayo grabbed it, containing her excitement, and stepped inside, hoping that her sister wasn’t arou— She spoke too soon. A high pitched voice rang across upstairs, down all the way to the front door. “Sis! You’re back!”, the classic high pitched voice that she hoped she wouldn’t stumble across in this very instant. The same one that gave her a headache half the time. And the source was rushing towards the front entrance as if she were Yukina going after a cat in the street. 

-“Hina, keep your voice down. I don’t need a headache.”  
-“How was practice? Did you have fun? Did you do anything boppin’? How many people did you wow with your skills? What is that pa-” She kept going on and on. Jesus, this girl needs an off switch, pronto!  
\- “Stop. It’s none of your business.” The sudden coldness hit Hina like a blizzard, and she got the memo.  
\- “...Alright, I’m sorry, sis.” Sayo just walked past her sister, who had gone from happy to gloomy in a second. She cursed herself for treating Hina like this, but she had no time to get hung up over it. 

She entered her room, carefully putting down the package in her desk, and lied down on her bed, checking her phone. Tsugumi had sent her a few pictures of the live show, which made Sayo smile. Something about the pianist dazzled her, and one thing to another led to them being the ‘cutest couple around’ — in Lisa’s words, anyway.

With anticipation overflowing, Sayo waited until it was approximately 2 AM. Mana in Masters flowed best at this time. She had prepared a summoning circle earlier on, in the woods nearby her residence. With catalyst in hand, all that was left to do was to summon. She had double, triple, quadruple checked that Hina was going to be asleep at this time. Even so, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was being watched by an all too familiar pair of eyes. She decided to just ignore it for now; she had more important things to do.

She finally arrived at the summoning circle. She put the catalyst in the very middle — an old cage with a rather peculiar design. Said to be used by a particular deity, that was all she knew, really. She backed off, and took a deep breath. Standing at the edge of the circle, she closed her eyes and put forward her fist.

“The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Repeat every five times. Simply, shatter once filled.”

The circle began to glow a soft cyan light. It lit the nearby area, an ominous wind shaking the leaves, bushes, and trees in the vicinity.

“――――I announce. Your self is under me, my fate is in your blade. In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.”

Sayo opened her eyes, wincing a bit as the light kept glowing brighter and brighter. The wind nearby started to make her hair go aflutter.

“Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead. You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance, come forth and answer my call―――!”

A jolt of energy went up into the sky. Or did it fall from it? Sayo couldn’t tell. Whatever the case, the ring emanated a bright pillar of light, strong enough to make her block her eyes, as to not go blind. Once the light dissipated, she could make out a figure in the center. A woman, with blonde hair, long pigtails, with an attire of a black dress, with a dark and purple tiara, holding what seemed to be a weapon resembling a lance. Her hip had a cage similar to the catalyst she used, but it wasn’t worn out in the slightest. The woman stood up, a divine presence emanating from her. Sayo wasn’t afraid, but she was uneasy. She opened her eyes — a deep crimson in both of them. 

“Servant, Lancer-class. Ereshkigal, Mistress of the Underworld. I have come in answer to your summons. I don’t like to help a single person exclusively, but I will assist you since you summoned me. You should be grateful.”

Sayo couldn’t find the proper words to say. She had done it — she became a Master. She summoned a Servant. She looked at her right hand, now marked with her three command seals. It has the pattern of a thorned rose. How ironic. 

“H-Hey! Why are you so quiet?!” Ereshkigal exclaimed. “I’ll have you know that I’m a proper and fine goddess!.” 

If Sayo wasn’t confused before, she was confused now. “Um… Sorry, but are you okay?” Ereshkigal was straight up pouting at this point. For a goddess, she sure was on the less mature side. 

“Am I okay?! Just what are you aski-” Ereshkigal suddenly cleared her throat, trying to salvage what little dignity she had in front of Sayo. “Err… I suppose I am. I don’t normally get summoned to this era…” She began to get lost in thought. “A-Anyway! I assume you’re my Master, yes? Don’t forget that we are human and goddess before master and servant.” Ereskigal leveled her weapon against Sayo, having a firm pose.  
“If you ever do something that goes against humanity, I will strike you down via my divine punishment.”

Sayo flinched. Did her own servant just threaten to end her life? “Right. I understand, Lancer.” 

Ereshkigal put away her weapon, like it had vanished from a blue flame into nothing. “Glad we got that covered then.” 

Just after that, they both heard a bush rumble nearby. Dammit. Did someone follow her? Was she too careless? 

“Who goes there?!” Sayo stoically exclaimed into the dark. She kept her composure. Ereshkigal, on the other hand…

-”Awawawa…! That s-startled me…!”  
-”Are you sure you’re actually a goddess?” Sayo jokingly jabbed.  
“Q-Quiet, you!” Ereshkigal was blushing. A goddess. Blushing over a simple jab and scare. Did the Association send her the correct catalyst?

Eventually, after some time, Sayo lowered her guard. “They fled. Dammit.” She looked at Ereshkigal, then back at the path she took to get to the circle. 

”Can you turn into spirit form? It will be useful if you can.” Ereshkigal nodded, doing so in the process. As they headed back, Sayo couldn’t stop worrying about who followed her. It couldn’t have been Hina, no way in hell it could’ve. 

There was little to no conversation within them on their way back. Sayo just wanted to go back to bed.

As soon as Sayo snuck back into her room and into her bed, she passed out on the spot. For some reason, the summoning ritual took most of her energy. That and she wasn’t used to staying up this late.

As Ereshkigal watched over Sayo sleep, she mumbled to herself.  
“You seem like a promising master. I will protect you to my last breath.” She giggled shortly after, then sighing.  
“If I was summoned, then that means she too will be here…”

Chapter 1 - Prologue — Rose of Kur - End


End file.
